Fantasy Football Week 3 Dark Horse Sleeper: Tyler Eifert

By Brad Berreman

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati Bengalsrookie tight end Tyler Eifert had five catches for 47 yards against the Chicago Bearsin Week 1, and followed that up with three receptions for 66 yards in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, including a 61-yard gain to set up Cincinnati’s first touchdown of the game.

Eifert and fellow tight end Jermaine Gresham (11 receptions for 101 yards through two games) have been targeted fairly equally through two games (14 for Gresham, 10 for Eifert), creating an unpredictable situation for fantasy footballowners heading into Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers. But could Eifert begin to assert himself as the Bengals’ No. 1 tight end?

The Packers enter Week 3 allowing 15.5 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends (tied for third-most in the league; ESPN standard scoring), including three touchdowns (tied for most in the league) to the position. It’s important to remember Green Bay faced Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers (six receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns) in Week 1, who is one of the best players at the position in the league, but Washington Redskins rookie tight end Jordan Reed did catch a touchdown against them last Sunday.

Eifert’s fantasy value has a ceiling as long as Gresham is healthy, but there seems to be room for both as prominent targets in the Bengals’ passing game. I personally like Eifert’s upside better over the rest of the season, and he is still widely available right now (23% percent ownership in Yahoo! leagues). Owners looking for a plug-and-play tight end this week can consider using Eifert in a favorable matchup, and he is worth stashing as a TE2 in 12 and 14-team leagues regardless.

Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.